5 Ways Kids Can Make Their Own Money
Kids tend to be good little businessmen, willing to do whatever they can to make some money. The five tips in this article will help you impress upon your children the value of the money they earn.
1. Find work around the house. These additional jobs do not have to include their usual chores. Resist creating a job just for them to make the money. This is the same as opening your wallet and handing the cash over to them. Examine what already needs to be done and choose an age-appropriate task. Asking what they need the money for can drive the fee paid for the service. Don’t make it unreasonable, though. Cleaning out the closets may be worth ten dollars but certainly not thirty or forty.
2. Start offering a needed service in the neighborhood. Kids can start up lawn care services as soon as they are old enough to handle the responsibility. Parents, however, will have to help their children in making all the necessary arrangements. Putting services and fees on fliers and then delivering them around the neighborhood is a good first step. No doubt there is some potential clientele in the area, especially busy individuals and older folks. Keep an eye on the kids, but allow them to do the work, offering to help only if they really need it.
3. Create crafts to sell on eBay. Crafty kids can use the world of eBay to sell their creations. This also lets them get a taste of how business works and experience the work it takes to care for a real company. Parents can help children to open an account and then prepare to auction off their products by taking pictures and typing up descriptions.
4. Have them help monitor younger siblings. Even young kids can help parents in this way. A three-year-old can be watched by a seven-year-old brother or sister. Distinct from babysitting, kids can monitor their little siblings while parents complete some chores around the house, like cooking dinner or doing the laundry.
Don’t confuse them with lots of rules. Just make sure they understand the important things. The younger child has to be followed and watched at all times, toys shouldn’t be in their mouths, and they have to be protected from dangerous things in the home, like the stove.
5. Hold a yard sale. If a child wants some extra cash, they can get rid of toys and clothing that they don’t play with or can no longer wear. Enter the yard sale. Yard sales are an excellent way for kids to make a few bucks and clean their rooms at the same time. Instead of throwing away these items or storing them in the attic, let others derive the same benefit that your child received from them.
As kids learn about the value of money, they will progressively ask to do more work. These tips are a great place to start, but adding more ideas will help you help your youngsters grow to be financially responsible adults.
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